The Reign of Kings (Alt: A Game of Kings)
by Trane7
Summary: AH!Kings AU oneshot. A retelling of Achievement Hunter's Minecraft Kings AU in a Game of Thrones-esque vibe. Enjoy and I'll accept any criticism!


Kings rise, kingdoms fall. In the eons that passed, in the world's passing and rebirth, the future of the world they live in, the past that was forgotten among the cataclysm of a civilization we murmur in tall tales and rumors, this one true fact never ceased.

The word for king changed on as sophistication continued, monarchy replaced with democracy, hierarchy replaced with meritocracy. But this trend persisted, no matter the change. The righteous took up arms, the greedy perfected their poison and the innocent cowered amidst the coming strife.

But even so, the blades can still be put to rest, the crowns can be placed on more heads. And as the cycle continued again, as old vices resurfaced and demanded blood, a few old and weathered men can still sit around a small raging fire. Silent, eyes dead and hollow with war, and take of old legends and myth. Of the start of all crowns, of the reigns of the AH Kings.

The First King, made with the coming of the new age. When the world came to life, when soil filled the crevice of bedrock, and saplings grew to towering trees, he breathed the first breath of New Man. Body clothed in armor so otherworldly it can only be considered divine and a thick well-trimmed moustache unlike any other.

Herald as the father of The First Men, he became the Builder, the WorldMaker. Structures so tall and extravagant were built with his very hands, some in wood, some in stone, some in minerals unheard of and lost to this age. And as Man's first oasis grew, so too did their numbers. One by one, the First Men, the First Kings, trickled into existence. They bowed to the Builder, and at once he was crowned The First King, King Geoff the benevolent.

A future bright for all of humanity, the start of fresh and new hope for a dark and bleary past. Jack the Architect, Geoff the King, and his few but strong followers, the Men Born From Divinity itself. It was a future worth dreaming for, a future where the men of this age wished had never been tampered with.

 _But humanity comes with a heavy price._

The First Men grew wild, drunk in their power and abilities. Their strength in building and creation became overshadowed by their need for violence. What started as mere games between friends turned into outright war. One can only bask in creation and beauty for so long before going completely and utterly _mad._

And while King Geoff was wise and humble, he could never have foreseen one of his trusted followed to become a beast unlike Man had ever seen.

 **Usurped** , in an act of crazed defiance a man once looked at as sensible and innocent betrayed the Father of the First Men. He fell, blood dripping down his armor, and in his last moments he heard the laugh that would reign after him. In its deepest personification of a psychotic man, masquerading as God himself, it came the beginning of the Reign of Kings.

Thus enter, The Mad King Ryan.

The skies turned dark, flashes of light thundering with horrible noises of pain and destruction. The Mad King had taken his place on the throne, eyes wide in indispensable madness and a kingdom awaiting his command.

The First Men grew murderous, theirs eyes clouded by the gross betrayal of their beloved leader. But The Mad King had no mercy to give, no sympathy to show, they were slaughtered to the tenth.

The King who became the Father of Mad Kings was born.

The First Men grew weary, but obeyed his rule nonetheless and The Mad King sat upon his throne without cause or worry. But as Mad as he was, the First Brothers, the Men who breathed after the First, were always held dear.

 **Overthrown,** so that was why he fell so quickly and unforgivingly, the mighty Mad King turned to a peasant, and a new ruler from the ashes of the First Men rose to take his place.

Thus enter, the Bloodied King Ray. The follower of the First King, a First Brother in the world that was made after Cataclysm, he lacked the First King's kindness. He became The Wrathful and Cruel King. Sparing The Mad King's death, to allow him the sight of his reign crumble around him, The Bloodied King led the First Men with a gaze as hard as steel and as cold as ice.

His justice was swift and merciless, remembering the dream world of King Geoff, the benevolent Father of Men, he set out with Jack the Architect and set his kingdom to work. Sprawling cities were constructed from nothing, bio-domes filled with myriads of different environments were constructed, natural and mechanical wonders toiled hard by the First Men's ingenuity and strength.

But then came the fatigue, the ones who could go no more. The hunger, settling in on the workers as they neglected farms and crops. The heat, sucking men dry of water and leaving them shallow husks to be carried away by the wind. The Wrathful gaze of King Ray showed no pity to them and all were slain for the vision of man, the twisted dream of the First King Geoff.

Jack the Architect, the companion to the Builder, watched all this happen beside the Wrathful King Ray. Demented in his own way Jack understood the loyalty beneath this unforgiving man but even so the wise words of his old friend commanded him to action.

No matter how strong Jack was, he could not do battle with a king. But as one who had seen the creation of the First Men, he knew the next King-to-be.

 **War,** the Wrathful King with his legions of soldiers became besieged by rebellion. His own Architect abandoned his side and now built weapons and structures do grand and great that it rendered his powers fruitless. At the head of this insurrection, the Bloodied King now sent his anger and wrath to a former Brother.

Michael, the man of the wild, the companion of nature. While the Father of Men created the world, he fathered the forest, Ryan the beasts and Ray the Dragons. His gaze was true, his blade writhed in the blue metal of riches and greed but wielded for hope and all things that breathe.

Their battle was long, blood filling the streets, soaking the ground and so stained on the earth not even the skies tears could wash it away. When they finalled clashed, in the throne room that once was joyous and caring. Neither one had any inch of love for each other, only the duty that they themselves consider virtuous.

Had they took a moment though, perhaps they could have seen the sad gaze of their mentor, their brother and friend looking sadly upon them on his former throne now tainted and cursed.

The Wrathful King Ray fell to Michael's blade, arms reaching out for his brother and meeting only cold hard ground.

Thus enter, The Righteous King Michael.

His reign was long and prosperous. Every word he sang, every tale he shared, every adventure he experienced, was met with the joy and laughter of the many. The Man of Nature, the Guardian of The Forest and all of life, the Fourth King.

The builders built at their own leisure, the crops were planted and the people were happy. The Age of The First Men had ended and thus came the Age of the True Men.

The First Men met and sired children, families erupted, large and filled with smiles and cries of delight. Mothers would chase their children, fathers would laugh heartily to their sons and upon his throne King Michael watched his kingdom become a place of human life.

With the expansion of the Wrathful King, the designs of the loyal Jack and the dream of his predecessor, the righteous king may not hold The First King's benevolence but unlike his counterpart, he was humble and grateful.

When the space that was once barren became occupied with new people, ones born from man than the Earth beneath their feet, the first ray of humanity sprouted forth.

And King Michael, the righteous, became betrothed. The streets were line with lights, the children sang songs of the First Men. At strike of midnight, the First Queen was crowned and tales of her benevolence, courage and warmth spread all throughout the Kingdom. A golden age that had not been seen for many years had finally arrived.

But in the shadows lurked a sinister old evil, once far more Mad than ever before. The dethroned Mad King was looking for revenge. Forgotten after the fall the Wrathful Ray, The Mad King Ryan plotted to return to his throne.

And then came the Fire of Hell. Homes were set ablaze, families were burnt alive and men raced to and fro to quill the flames. The Kind Queen marched down to roaring flames, shushing the frightened children and rallying the children of First Men to battle the blazing foe.

In that moment, The Mad King struck, and in myth to this day it is told Queen Lindsay still walks but now she is a haunting beauty, one merely regarded as the Red Queen of Flames.

 **Distraught,** the Righteous King was horrified to see the flames stretch out around his people and then engulfed the forests nearby. The boy of nature, the Guardian of life, grew despondent in terror.

The Mad King then returned, the skies darkening, the winds howling. It was time for Madness to Return.

The Righteous and the Psychotic clashed, neither stronger than the other, both a hellish flame of anger and hatred. Their swords clashed till they ran dull, their arrows flew till they grew scant then their fists became bloodied in blood.

The Righteous King fought courageously, even as his people screamed in terror below him, but regardless nothing could change the fact he fell to his knees. His body writhed in pain, his arms broken and shattered, and his heart still reeling with the loss of his people, of his beloved. In that one moment The Mad King looked upon Michael both felt the First King nearby and though they were now hated enemies, the two once brothers, even The Mad King himself, drifted off to old forgotten memories before King Michael the Righteous died of his own wounds.

The Mad King has returned.

The land grew wild in panic and fear, the few remaining First Men remembering the psychotic reign of King Ryan warned all those of the Age of True Men of what would befall them.

In herds and troops, men fled the once great kingdom made by the Builder and Designed by the Architect. Their children in tow and their hopes of a better tomorrow in the horizon of the land that was soaked in blood.

Jack the Architect remained, watching people he grew close too and the dream his friend had slowly disappear. In a fit of rage he yelled upon to The Mad King, demanding to know just what he wished to do on a throne with no kingdom to command.

To Jack's surprise, The Mad King grew... _regretful._ In a moment, just that moment, The Mad King lamented the loss of the First King and Jack had a glimmer of hope that perhaps the old follower that he once knew would return, but such hollow dreams should not exist with men. The Mad King cackled in laughter and proudly proclaim, his madness has only caused him more madness. This Mad King had finished with his Murder Break.

And so The Mad King ruled and looked upon the kingdom of man and proudly said. "Whoever can slay the beast, that I have fathered and named, shall be crowned the Sixth King and I shall step down." The people grew hopeful and brave men and women prepared to go out to do battle.

But as Michael fathered the Forest and Ray the Dragons, the beasts of Ryan were large grotesque creatures. But his worst creation of all, was Edgar the Monster of the Hole.

Scores of hopeful warriors marched to their death, hoping to claim victory and kingship but found only dismemberment and death. The Mad King sat and watched, his eyes half-lidded in knowing knowledge as the once running citizens now sat in place, waiting for the hero to return with the beast head.

Jack suddenly realised the horrifying brilliance of The Mad King Ryan.

 **Fool,** thus the last of the First Men, the Guardian if the Sacred Tree and the one with the voice of a passing pacific, the Last Brother Gavin met with Jack.

Armed with the will of the First King, the friendship of the Third and Fourth King, this lonely man, regarded as a fool, ventured to defeat this dangerous beast.

And how mighty this beast was, a bull wrapped in muscle and danger, this lonely figure stared fearfully at this monster. But fear could not overpower his will and with a mighty blow, with a blade once wielded by the Righteous Michael and Pearls coveted by the dragons of the Wrathful Ray, the beast fell to Gavin's blows.

Thus enter, The Jester King Gavin.

When he was presented the crown once held by the hands of his brothers, the Jester Gavin bowed his head in silent respect and sorrow. When he rose and he stared at the smirking face of The Mad King, he commanded, "Leave."

With nary a twitch in his smile, The First Brother Ryan said, "Oh you fool, was it worth it?" And he left, without a goodbye or a single sign that he ever once regarded Gavin as a brother.

The kingdom of men grew under the Jester King, who commanded knowledge and strength never once heard of. Jack the Architect built sprawling buildings, massive city-scapes and bio-domes that outclassed the Wrathful King Ryan. Technology grew, the people prospered again, and the Age of True Men was lit by the touch of The First Men once again.

But even as Gavin sat upon his throne, watching the sunset, and remembering the times of the First King Geoff, he knew that one day...

The Mad King would return.

Thus came the seventh and last king, the Eternal King Ryan, the Mad King of All.


End file.
